Greater Tokyo

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Yakumo Shrine

Yakumo Shrine

Founded in 1192, Yakumo Shrine is affectionately called “Yakumo-sama” by local residents, reflecting its deep ties with the community. The shrine is dedicated to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and visitors pray here for physical health, recovery from illness, safe travels, and protection from misfortune. Worshippers even come from afar to pay their respects. In addition to Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the shrine also enshrines Daikoreishin (Hosokawa Okimoto, the founder of the Mogi branch of the Hosokawa clan) as an associated deity. Within the shrine office and the Shushuden Hall (a resting place for parishioners), visitors can see displays of historical materials, including the armor helmet once bestowed upon the Hosokawa clan by Oda Nobunaga. Yakumo Shrine is also known as the guardian shrine of traffic safety and is closely associated with “TWIN RING MOTEGI.” During major motor races, both staff and drivers come to pray here for victory and safety.

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Seven Hundred Club

Seven Hundred Club

Seven Hundred Club has 18 holes with plenty of space in between on land as vast as 1 million square meters. There are artistic holes surrounded by forests, beautiful and thrilling holes with a pond, and so on to stimulate players’ competitiveness. The club stretches on land that is 1.5 times bigger than average golf courses, allowing players to improve their score or course management. The club also offers lesson programs matching player skill levels. The food options at the course are popular among both male and female plyers. The clubhouse has a BBQ area and also offers a wide variety of seasonal dishes. Visitors are sure to have a very fulfilling day here.

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Nasu Yuzen Shrine

Nasu Yuzen Shrine

History of Nasu Yuzen Shrine It is said that a hunter named Kano found onsen here when he was trying to hunt a white deer. He built this shrine for thanksgiving. According to an article written in Nara period (A.D 710~794), we can confirm that the shrine already existed during that time.   During the Genpei War in 12th century, an archer called Nasu Yoichi came here to pray for victory over Taira family’s army. He shot down a fan by one arrow that enemy put on the front of their boat when he stood on the ground. It made him became legend and the shrine became very famous for blessing Yoichi. Yoichi donated his bow and arrow to the shrine, which became shrine’s tressure later.   Shrine’s famous festival The most important event of the shrine is the “Dai Festival”, which is held on October 8 and 9 every year. They dedicate onsen to the God, and perform a traditional dance called “Urayasu Dance”.   Then on October 9, people perform another traditional dance called “Ozawa’s Lion Dance,” which is designated as the “Intangible Cultural Property of Nasu Machi” to pray for prosperity.   There is also a famous festival be held on the last weekend of May, the “Nasu Seshosseki Gojinka Festival”. The highlight of the festival is a parade from Yuzen Shrine to Sesshoseki by participants attired in white clothing with torches.

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Kanuma soba Nira soba

Kanuma soba Nira soba

Kanuma's native species of brown buckwheat has characteristically small seeds with a relatively thick, aroma-rich hull. Grown to full ripeness in Kanuma’s large, rainy forests, it has a profound flavor. Kanuma soba is prepared using locally-sourced water and buckwheat flour, giving it a unique sweetness and aroma that are popular among its fans. Soba is a staple food in Kanuma, and nira soba was born out of the local tradition of using nira (garlic chives) to both add volume to and spice up their soba.

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Tonoike Shuzo

Tonoike Shuzo

This brewery produces an array of choice sake and received a gold medal at the Annual Japan Sake Awards for its Sanran-daiginjo brew. Their facility tour is popular with tourists, where the brewer explains its history in detail. Come learn about the tradition and techniques of sake production. A gift shop on the grounds sells choice brews and cosmetics made with sake. Enjoy coffee brewed with the same water used for the sake, sweets with sake lees, a sake tasting set, and more at their café."

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Nikko Saru Gundan

Nikko Saru Gundan

Visitors at this leisure facility can enjoy watching monkeys act in plays, do street performances, and more. It is famous for having produced Taro and Jiro, a trainer-monkey pair that was once the star of many TV commercials. In addition to the exhibit areas, the facility also a number of attractions where visitors can play with the monkeys. The area where visitors can take a photo while holding baby Japanese macaques is gaining popularity."

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Tochigi Flower Center

Tochigi Flower Center

The Tochigi Flower Center is located at the base of Mt. Mikamosan Park. Come enjoy a variety of flowers in a large flower bed shaped like six flower petals as well as the largest greenhouse in the country. The center plans a variety of exhibitions based on the season and also offers horticultural advice. Their permanent exhibits include flowers, fruits, and plants of the tropics and subtropics as well as strange, bizarre, and rare plants from around the world such as welwitschia mirabilis. Events are held showing off seasonal flowers."

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Nogi-machi Brick Kiln

Nogi-machi Brick Kiln

Made in 1890, the Nogi-machi Brick Kiln is a Hoffmann kiln that belonged to the former Shimotsuke brick manufacturer and was a major contributor to Nogi’s industrialisation. This is the only perfectly original Hoffmann kiln in Japan and is designated as an Important Cultural Property. It is in the shape of a hexadecagon (a 16-sided polygon) and is 34 metres in height and 100 metres in circumference. The kiln baked up to 408,000 bricks per year during the 80 years between 1890 and 1971. The conservation and repair work on the kiln was completed in September 2015 and the kiln was open to the public on 10 May 2016. The Nogi Koryu Centre (known as the “Nogi Hoffmann Kan”) was built and opened to the public at the same time. The centre offers activities and workshops as well as original goods and light meals. Come and experience the culture of the Meiji period!

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Daisei Gama(Kiln)

Daisei Gama(Kiln)

Daisei Gama, established in 1861, is a leading pottery studio in the pottery town of Mashiko. Its shop, a renovated traditional Japanese house, showcases a wide variety of pottery ranging from standard products to basic products with a few additional touches to the design, clay, and taste. Daisei Gama has been using a climbing kiln for generations since its establishment. Among climbing kilns operated by many pottery studios in Mashiko, it is the largest one. Daisei Gama uses Japanese red pine as fuel and traditional glaze that has long been used in Mashiko such as persimmon glaze as well as rice-bran white glaze, black glaze, amber glaze, and celadon glaze. Currently at Daisei Gama, the sixth-generation family head Kuninori Otsuka and the seventh-generation family head Seiichi Otsuka, together with craftworkers, are creating traditional, simple Mashiko pottery with a glimpse of strength and warmth inside. Visitors can view the climbing kiln. There is also a gallery in a separate building.

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Tobu Chuzenjiko Cruise(内容が被っているため非公開)

Tobu Chuzenjiko Cruise(内容が被っているため非公開)

Lake Chuzenji is located in the area leading into Okunikko. It has a circumference of 25 km and the water reaches a depth of 163 m. It is said that lava from the eruption of Mount Nantai 20,000 years ago blocked the valley to create the initial form of the lake. Because of the spectacular view in each season, the lakeside area used to be a popular summer retreat for foreigners. That areas still features the Italian Embassy Villa Memorial Park and British Embassy Villa Memorial Park. The pleasure boat of the Tobu Chuzenjiko Cruise sails through the beautiful scenery and near these tourist destinations. In fall, you can see mountains covered in explosions of red, orange, and yellow from the lake. It is truly a picturesque view. The tour takes about 55 minutes in total, but there are tickets available for visitors to get on/off along the course.

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Mashiko Yuwakan     Gozasho (imperial chamber) and Peace Gallery

Mashiko Yuwakan Gozasho (imperial chamber) and Peace Gallery

Mashiko Yuwakan was originally established in Meiji 15 (1882) in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture as the Nanma Hotel. His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus stayed there during the war as evacuating school children when he was Crown Prince . The Gozasho, where he heard the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War over the The Jewel Voice Broadcast at the end of the war, remains to this day. The Mashiko-ware pottery kiln in Mashiko was relocated to its current location in Showa 48 (1973), and was donated to the town in Heisei 28 (2016). The building was renovated and re-opened as Mashiko Yuwakan with the hope to pass on the value of this building not only as a town treasure, but also as a national treasure to future generations. Currently, the Peace Gallery is exhibiting newspapers from the end of the war and panels showing the relationship between Tochigi Prefecture and the Imperial Family. In the Gozasho, which retains the appearance of those days, the full audio of the The Jewel Voice Broadcast is available to be listened. ※Masaiko Yuwakan has been renovated while keeping the original charm of the time it was built, so there are steep stairs and steps. Please be aware that the facilities are not barrier-free. We thank you for your understanding.

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